This is a movie about visuals.. and absurd, over the top fun. An enjoyable ~60 minutes for your mind to take a rest. Let the mind take a break, seat it comfortably and allow the colorful animation splash a bucket of weird Japanese imagination to your face. I must say that this movie is best viewed without the subtitles. When I first was watching it without them I decided to turn the subtitles on so I could follow the story, but right after that I missed half of the anime's lively visuals. So if you really are interested in getting the full experience and don't know Japanese I would recommend to watch this one twice, once to get the story, and second time to actually enjoy the amazing animation.
18 Reviews
My head is still spinning, but in a good way!
spamspaz-14 June 2006
Normally I ask for a plot in my movies, but when this was movie was finished I realize that you can still have a great movie with practically no plot. This movie gets this score for its amazing animation style, its no bars held style of action, its tongue in cheek humor, and style dripping out of every poor. Some of the humor was a bit low (I'm look at you Drill!) and the story was really confusing, but overall I thought that this movie was one of the most memorable pieces of work I have ever seen. If you come into this movie expecting a deep tapestry, you will be shocked and appalled, but if you liked Kill Bill and movies that are as fast as an fighter jet, rent or buy this movie now!
Quick and Short mini-review
kylehaynes3129 June 2013
If Madhouse's Redline is a "flashy action ride", then Dead Leaves is a "nuts-to-the-wall flashy tripped-out action ride on speed". The movie's high-contrast comic book-like visuals had me expecting something unique, but I don't think I could properly have prepared myself for just how unique Dead Leaves turns out to be. The comic book style applies not only to the frequently grotesque characters and outlandish scenery, but also to the cinematography itself with several "panels" often being shown on screen at the same time, sound effects appearing as actual floating words, and unusual framing used to emphasize certain parts of the scenes. The narrative begins with the protagonists, Retro (a TV-headed man) and Pandy (a woman with a mysterious red spot over her right eye) waking up naked and without their memories only to go on a crime spree which gets them sent for life to a prison on the moon called Dead Leaves. Not for the straitlaced or faint of heart, Dead Leaves' mere 52 minutes zoom by at break-neck speed in a flurry of explosions, gore, sex and nudity, but if you can stomach the off-the-wall content you're in for a very enjoyable if lamentably brief anime experience.
Pure Mayhem.
CrassActionHero16 September 2006
I saw this one night on a whim. I had no idea what this was going to be. On animidnight I catch the occasional anime and this was something different. This is Dead Leaves.
This totally blew away my expectations!! We start with our two heroes who for some reason are sitting alone naked and have amnesia. After a small introduction to our heroes, the mayhem begins. The animation alone is the first thing I noticed and it's so stunningly original and fun to look at and fits the story well. The characters our heroes meet along the way are far too funny and silly. This is also packed with some memorable one liners as well. The action is aggressive, funny, original(there's that word again), and extremely violent. Our heroes are very likable(especially Retro), and totally own the screen. Also watch for lots of crude and vulgar humor and language. This is not for kids at all. One of the many characters is Chinco Doll, a mutant with a drill. Once we meet him, let the crude begin. I'll just leave it at that. The voice acting is fantastic, the story is pretty good too. After all of this, why give this a nine and not a ten? Because this is only 45 minutes long. After this ended, I wanted more. 45 minutes does this no justice.
The Last Word: Fantastic. This is an original work of art. I can watch this over and over and this will not get old. From the humor to the action, Dead Leaves delivers all. Only drawback, too short. Dead Leaves will leave you wanting more.
This totally blew away my expectations!! We start with our two heroes who for some reason are sitting alone naked and have amnesia. After a small introduction to our heroes, the mayhem begins. The animation alone is the first thing I noticed and it's so stunningly original and fun to look at and fits the story well. The characters our heroes meet along the way are far too funny and silly. This is also packed with some memorable one liners as well. The action is aggressive, funny, original(there's that word again), and extremely violent. Our heroes are very likable(especially Retro), and totally own the screen. Also watch for lots of crude and vulgar humor and language. This is not for kids at all. One of the many characters is Chinco Doll, a mutant with a drill. Once we meet him, let the crude begin. I'll just leave it at that. The voice acting is fantastic, the story is pretty good too. After all of this, why give this a nine and not a ten? Because this is only 45 minutes long. After this ended, I wanted more. 45 minutes does this no justice.
The Last Word: Fantastic. This is an original work of art. I can watch this over and over and this will not get old. From the humor to the action, Dead Leaves delivers all. Only drawback, too short. Dead Leaves will leave you wanting more.
The most wacky, off-the-wall anime this side of FLCL!
songmaster200528 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
When I first heard of this anime, I was a bit apprehensive about it. But the premise intrigued me. That and the fact that the director worked on "FLCL." The animation sort of reminds me of the style used in "INVADER ZIM" and "WORLD RECORD" from the ANIMATRIX. Rregardless, I am glad I decided to pick this up. The premise is: Pandy and Retro (a guy with a TV for a head) wake up naked with no memory. They proceed to then get some clothes, steal a car and lead the police on a wild, gun-blazing, high-speed chase which ends in their arrests. They are then sent to DEAD LEAVES, a prison on the moon. After engineering an escape, they have to contend with the twisted Triple 6, his hulkish brother Triple 7 and the enigmatic Warden. This anime is all over the place! There's guns, explosions, BIGGER guns, sex, penis drills (you have to watch to see)! If you like your anime no-hold's barred and just light years above regular orbit check this out!
Prison Break
sol-6 April 2017
Arrested for stealing food, clothes and weapons, two amnesiacs with unusual facial features are thrown into an abusive lunar prison in this weird and wacky animated comedy from Japan. The pacing of the film is very brisk and so fast in fact that the opening few minutes (before the pair are arrested) are disorientating. The film goes from strength to strength though from the moment that the amnesiacs are imprisoned. As the jail inmates are force fed, forced to defecate at the same time and punished by death for the most minor rule infringements, the movie establishes a sharp attack on totalitarian justice systems. Things only get more interesting as the pair discover that all their inmates are genetically modified clones, which leads to them contemplating their own origins. As the film progresses, the action mounts more and more and when push comes to shove, the whole thing feels a little over-the-top. The imagination on display is incredible though (you will have never seen a baby quite like the one here - and then there is the golden drill!) and the film is even quite funny in between its violent outbursts. The movie's biggest drawback is the fact that it ends rather abruptly, but clocking in at less than one hour, the film at least never outstays its welcome while also providing plenty to ponder in terms of personal identity, prison brutality and the ethics of DNA manipulation.
I thought I had seen it all, then I saw Dead Leaves.
Wwmbrd5 March 2015
I thought I had seen it all, then I saw Dead Leaves.
Preface:
From the mind of Hiroyuki Imaishi (director of FLCL and Gurren Lagann) comes this cracktastic adventure of the bizarre and insane. Get ready for a 45m long wild ride on ludicrous speed. It goes full plaid.
Story: 8
Retro- a guy with a TV for a head, and Pandy- a woman with an enormous red eye wake up in the middle of nowhere with no recollection as to how they got there, or what the heck they were doing in the first place. Their inhibitions flung to the wind, they take up arms and go buck wild on the city, only to be rounded up and sent to the prison Dead Leaves, which is located on the half munched-off remainder of the moon. Hilarity, violence, and madness ensue.
Art: 10
Everything about this OVA screams Hiroyuki Imaishi. I loved seeing his unique art style on display- Everything in this looked like the bumper slides from Gurren Lagann for reference, and I thought it was awesome. Crisply animated, and so so so many quick cuts, flashing lights, and fast, fluidly moving action pieces. Vibrant colors, and those glorious stars.
Sound: 8
I watched this in sub, and the voice acting was appropriately outrageous and manic. The energetic music pumped along to the explosions, gunfire, and general mayhem going on screen. Great stuff.
Characters: 8
Okay, so, Pandy the Red-eyed leading lady, and Retro, the deranged TV head team up to figure out just exactly what the heck is going on, along with a skeevy doctor that looks like Zoidberg, but swap the tentacles for bad teeth, some dudes with some not-so-subtle reproductive organ parts for heads, and Mr. Chinko Drill, who has an enormous golden drill for a penis. That's right, a drill, and he's not afraid to use it.
They all play their parts with equal bits psychosis and thirst for violence, and it couldn't be much more entertaining to watch.
Enjoyment: 9
What a rush. Nonstop, quick cut, over the top, sheer craziness from start to finish. It never lets up. Blink, and you might as well be watching something else- it goes FAST. Story on hyperdrive, action on lightspeed- I had to rewind several times after trying to find my jaw to put it back on. The absurd situations, the crude jokes, loved all of it. Couldn't stop laughing the whole time.
Overall: 8.8 (rounding this one up, because it was too much fun) - 9
In typical, addictive Imaishi style, it is extremely irreverent, edgy, and a bit crass, but when combined with his incredible art, a tasty soundtrack, and more gonzo than you've seen since Inferno Cop, and we have a formula for success.
Note: I see this as a sort of spiritual predecessor to Gurren Lagann. The art style definitely was inspired by this, and no-one can deny the introduction of the awesomeness of Spiral Power that we have Dead Leaves to thank for
Preface:
From the mind of Hiroyuki Imaishi (director of FLCL and Gurren Lagann) comes this cracktastic adventure of the bizarre and insane. Get ready for a 45m long wild ride on ludicrous speed. It goes full plaid.
Story: 8
Retro- a guy with a TV for a head, and Pandy- a woman with an enormous red eye wake up in the middle of nowhere with no recollection as to how they got there, or what the heck they were doing in the first place. Their inhibitions flung to the wind, they take up arms and go buck wild on the city, only to be rounded up and sent to the prison Dead Leaves, which is located on the half munched-off remainder of the moon. Hilarity, violence, and madness ensue.
Art: 10
Everything about this OVA screams Hiroyuki Imaishi. I loved seeing his unique art style on display- Everything in this looked like the bumper slides from Gurren Lagann for reference, and I thought it was awesome. Crisply animated, and so so so many quick cuts, flashing lights, and fast, fluidly moving action pieces. Vibrant colors, and those glorious stars.
Sound: 8
I watched this in sub, and the voice acting was appropriately outrageous and manic. The energetic music pumped along to the explosions, gunfire, and general mayhem going on screen. Great stuff.
Characters: 8
Okay, so, Pandy the Red-eyed leading lady, and Retro, the deranged TV head team up to figure out just exactly what the heck is going on, along with a skeevy doctor that looks like Zoidberg, but swap the tentacles for bad teeth, some dudes with some not-so-subtle reproductive organ parts for heads, and Mr. Chinko Drill, who has an enormous golden drill for a penis. That's right, a drill, and he's not afraid to use it.
They all play their parts with equal bits psychosis and thirst for violence, and it couldn't be much more entertaining to watch.
Enjoyment: 9
What a rush. Nonstop, quick cut, over the top, sheer craziness from start to finish. It never lets up. Blink, and you might as well be watching something else- it goes FAST. Story on hyperdrive, action on lightspeed- I had to rewind several times after trying to find my jaw to put it back on. The absurd situations, the crude jokes, loved all of it. Couldn't stop laughing the whole time.
Overall: 8.8 (rounding this one up, because it was too much fun) - 9
In typical, addictive Imaishi style, it is extremely irreverent, edgy, and a bit crass, but when combined with his incredible art, a tasty soundtrack, and more gonzo than you've seen since Inferno Cop, and we have a formula for success.
Note: I see this as a sort of spiritual predecessor to Gurren Lagann. The art style definitely was inspired by this, and no-one can deny the introduction of the awesomeness of Spiral Power that we have Dead Leaves to thank for
Ride and a half! Well worth a go! (But not for the overly conservative)
tomson-716 January 2010
As the above reviews imply this flick is utter insanity, but brilliant insanity! Thoughtful, creative and brutally raw Dead Leaves is essentially a Japanese acid trip in prison. Full pointless filthy creations that can quite literally only work and defecate! The creators are not surprisingly complete lunatics (But just the sort of guys you would love to have a drink with). The directors commentary is hilarious, opening with the pair discussing how long they have been in the bar drinking before even mentioning the film itself.
Involving the producers of Ghost in the Shell, three drunken Japanese legends claimed to have blown nearly the entire budget in the first ten minutes of the picture. A Dramatic but classic car chase between our protagonists' (one with a TV on his head, the other a strange clown looking woman.) Who set out on a ten-minute trail of destruction through an urban futuristic city, until their exploits dump them into the highest security prison on the moon.
The budget constrictions become so obvious throughout the rest of the picture but rather than holding back, these constraints actually add to films aesthetic affect. It's a comedy more than anything and these financial problems heighten the comedic factor to a great extent. Also the animation is inventive and affective, a simplistic style of animation that would in fact require enormous artistic talent on the part of the animators. Very typical of the best new styles of animation whereby extreme complexity creates a beautifully simplistic image. (Cartoon Networks Samurai Jack being a great example of such an animative style.) Dead Leaves is great fun, a new experience and not for faint-hearted or over conservative. As I say it's raw, brutal and blunt; the writers have held back in no respects whatsoever, putting the true dark extremities of the human consciousness into a comic script. So for fans of the genre or newbie's who want to see something crazy, off world and unimaginable – Dead Leaves is well worth a watch. You may feel slightly offended but will certainly not miss 55 minutes of your life! Enjoy.
Involving the producers of Ghost in the Shell, three drunken Japanese legends claimed to have blown nearly the entire budget in the first ten minutes of the picture. A Dramatic but classic car chase between our protagonists' (one with a TV on his head, the other a strange clown looking woman.) Who set out on a ten-minute trail of destruction through an urban futuristic city, until their exploits dump them into the highest security prison on the moon.
The budget constrictions become so obvious throughout the rest of the picture but rather than holding back, these constraints actually add to films aesthetic affect. It's a comedy more than anything and these financial problems heighten the comedic factor to a great extent. Also the animation is inventive and affective, a simplistic style of animation that would in fact require enormous artistic talent on the part of the animators. Very typical of the best new styles of animation whereby extreme complexity creates a beautifully simplistic image. (Cartoon Networks Samurai Jack being a great example of such an animative style.) Dead Leaves is great fun, a new experience and not for faint-hearted or over conservative. As I say it's raw, brutal and blunt; the writers have held back in no respects whatsoever, putting the true dark extremities of the human consciousness into a comic script. So for fans of the genre or newbie's who want to see something crazy, off world and unimaginable – Dead Leaves is well worth a watch. You may feel slightly offended but will certainly not miss 55 minutes of your life! Enjoy.
A statement piece
KaZenPhi11 January 2022
This is what happens when some of the most talented and creative people in japanimation get really drunk. A vulgar, violent, sexy caleidoscope of an acid trip that is simultaneously a love letter to japanimation and a parody of all its cliches, set to driving Yoko Kanno beats. In short it's plain freakin' awesome.
This came out around the same time as Masaaki Yuasa's mindgame and even almost 20 years later both still feel like the future of animation. Yuasa with his sketchy lines and paintbrush beauty, Imaishi with his vector-like graphical clarity and excess.
The story of Dead Leaves is simple. Two convicts from a lunar prison facility, Pandy and Retro, awaken on earth with no memory of their past and immediately get pursued by the cops. Wickedness and shenanigans ensue.
It's definitely a unique trip and a good introduction to Hiroyuki Imaishi's aesthetic that continues to evolve and refine, as evidenced in the recent opus Promare which managed to gain a more mainstream audience than Dead Leaves will ever have. Which is by design mind you.
It's beautiful madness from beginning to end, gleefully indulgent in sex and violence which are both played for laughs and can be exhausting if you don't know what you're in for. That is not to say it's ever just random. Every frame despite the excess is drawn with a level of taste, purpose and clarity that is rather unique to this day. It's basically the visualization of a great electro punk album and a testament to the creativity of Japanese animators. A promise to the future by Imaishi that he continues to keep.
Makes for a great double feature with his more recent short "Sex and violence with mach speed".
This came out around the same time as Masaaki Yuasa's mindgame and even almost 20 years later both still feel like the future of animation. Yuasa with his sketchy lines and paintbrush beauty, Imaishi with his vector-like graphical clarity and excess.
The story of Dead Leaves is simple. Two convicts from a lunar prison facility, Pandy and Retro, awaken on earth with no memory of their past and immediately get pursued by the cops. Wickedness and shenanigans ensue.
It's definitely a unique trip and a good introduction to Hiroyuki Imaishi's aesthetic that continues to evolve and refine, as evidenced in the recent opus Promare which managed to gain a more mainstream audience than Dead Leaves will ever have. Which is by design mind you.
It's beautiful madness from beginning to end, gleefully indulgent in sex and violence which are both played for laughs and can be exhausting if you don't know what you're in for. That is not to say it's ever just random. Every frame despite the excess is drawn with a level of taste, purpose and clarity that is rather unique to this day. It's basically the visualization of a great electro punk album and a testament to the creativity of Japanese animators. A promise to the future by Imaishi that he continues to keep.
Makes for a great double feature with his more recent short "Sex and violence with mach speed".
Different, but not particularly good
segan-3267230 October 2015
Let me preface this by saying I don't watch a lot of anime, and when I do it's Howl's Moving Castle, or something along those lines. I think I came across Dead Leaves by googling for abstract or surreal movies or something like that, and the synopsis intrigued me so...why not?
The good: inventively insane visuals, unusual but effective animation style
The bad: everything else. Terrible, repetitive music. The plot is somewhere between flimsy and nonexistent. The characters are just vehicles for crude humor and gruesome violence, with no merit of their own.
I watched with interest for about 20 minutes as things just got progressively weirder and weirder, but it eventually became clear that the movie was going to just be an endless stream of pointless violence and crude humor and that's all, so I turned it off. If you already know and are familiar with this type of anime then maybe it will work for you. If you're looking for any degree of substance, then keep looking.
The good: inventively insane visuals, unusual but effective animation style
The bad: everything else. Terrible, repetitive music. The plot is somewhere between flimsy and nonexistent. The characters are just vehicles for crude humor and gruesome violence, with no merit of their own.
I watched with interest for about 20 minutes as things just got progressively weirder and weirder, but it eventually became clear that the movie was going to just be an endless stream of pointless violence and crude humor and that's all, so I turned it off. If you already know and are familiar with this type of anime then maybe it will work for you. If you're looking for any degree of substance, then keep looking.
Out of Control and pretty OK.
Angels_Review26 December 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This is a kind of rather wacky and out of control, kind of like FLCL and SuperJail. I will not have you watch this without a warning, this show is really over the top, packed with sex, poop, gore, and pretty much any type of joke around. Those who take offense to any of this or are young children should leave the room, as I will probably be talking about stuff like that in this review. Are they gone? Alright, back to the review.
This show is, hard to actually review as it's that type of humor that you either get it or you don't. Its not something you can actually explain well or have a large discussion about because then it loses its humor. We all know (or at least any Otaku out there who watches anime can tell you) how strange and odd Japan is. Frankly, I believe it's partly because of how strict their country was on honor, morals, and codes of conduct. Those who did not have these standards had to hid or be killed. With that little bit of history, I can see why they have something like this. It's out of control including many scenes of sex and gore. Many different should I really call them 'fetishes' are pronounced in here like tubes up the ass and all manner of gross images I can never unsee.
The story has an interesting storyline, and YES, it does have one. They actually didn't just throw crap into it and try to make a show off of something that doesn't have consistency. It follows two main characters, Pandy and Retro as they call themselves, who one day wake up without any idea who they are or what they are doing naked near a futuristic Tokyo. They start on a crime spree and it takes no time for them to be caught and sent to the moon prison where they find that they and so many others are rejected clones. They try to free themselves and that's as far as I can go without spoiling anything more. If I read into it, and I have to review such a thing, I would consider this more of the dangers of mass cloning and those trying to figure out their place in life. I can only guess that because there is very little to work with. We got a bunch of rejected clones fighting to have their own life.
The animation, lets face it, its god awful, not looking like the banner or cover at all. But yet, I have to say this is one of those shows that I really didn't care much. Similar to Panty and Stocking, it has its own interesting spin, although creepy. All the shadows are done in black, leaving rather jagged edges to even more jagged characters. Sometimes it's hard to pick out what are backgrounds and what's a character because the bodies elongate and squash depending on the scene, sometimes filling the whole screen to the point that they look more like a strange deformed background. It doesn't help that everything is a mass of oddly shaped colors pieced together like a puzzle. A lot of times when Pandy is pregnant, her belly changes shape, growing and shrinking from scene to scene.The aliens are actually rather creative, including an alien that has a dick that's a drill (Although I really freaken don't want to know more about him!).
The English voices are actually pretty good, being dubbed to each character. Jaxon Lee and Amanda Winn-Lee do pretty good jobs as Retro and Pandy, playing off each others personalities as well as keep the characters interesting. Pandy is almost always in monotone, while Retro seems not able to hold himself back and has a tone of energy (think sort of like Naruto from Naruto and Haruko from FLCL had a kid). The music is pretty fast paced and retro sounding, almost like some old action adventure game, but with a lot of techno after tones that make it more sci-fi feeling.
It's not something I would really watch again, but it was interesting none the less.
This show is, hard to actually review as it's that type of humor that you either get it or you don't. Its not something you can actually explain well or have a large discussion about because then it loses its humor. We all know (or at least any Otaku out there who watches anime can tell you) how strange and odd Japan is. Frankly, I believe it's partly because of how strict their country was on honor, morals, and codes of conduct. Those who did not have these standards had to hid or be killed. With that little bit of history, I can see why they have something like this. It's out of control including many scenes of sex and gore. Many different should I really call them 'fetishes' are pronounced in here like tubes up the ass and all manner of gross images I can never unsee.
The story has an interesting storyline, and YES, it does have one. They actually didn't just throw crap into it and try to make a show off of something that doesn't have consistency. It follows two main characters, Pandy and Retro as they call themselves, who one day wake up without any idea who they are or what they are doing naked near a futuristic Tokyo. They start on a crime spree and it takes no time for them to be caught and sent to the moon prison where they find that they and so many others are rejected clones. They try to free themselves and that's as far as I can go without spoiling anything more. If I read into it, and I have to review such a thing, I would consider this more of the dangers of mass cloning and those trying to figure out their place in life. I can only guess that because there is very little to work with. We got a bunch of rejected clones fighting to have their own life.
The animation, lets face it, its god awful, not looking like the banner or cover at all. But yet, I have to say this is one of those shows that I really didn't care much. Similar to Panty and Stocking, it has its own interesting spin, although creepy. All the shadows are done in black, leaving rather jagged edges to even more jagged characters. Sometimes it's hard to pick out what are backgrounds and what's a character because the bodies elongate and squash depending on the scene, sometimes filling the whole screen to the point that they look more like a strange deformed background. It doesn't help that everything is a mass of oddly shaped colors pieced together like a puzzle. A lot of times when Pandy is pregnant, her belly changes shape, growing and shrinking from scene to scene.The aliens are actually rather creative, including an alien that has a dick that's a drill (Although I really freaken don't want to know more about him!).
The English voices are actually pretty good, being dubbed to each character. Jaxon Lee and Amanda Winn-Lee do pretty good jobs as Retro and Pandy, playing off each others personalities as well as keep the characters interesting. Pandy is almost always in monotone, while Retro seems not able to hold himself back and has a tone of energy (think sort of like Naruto from Naruto and Haruko from FLCL had a kid). The music is pretty fast paced and retro sounding, almost like some old action adventure game, but with a lot of techno after tones that make it more sci-fi feeling.
It's not something I would really watch again, but it was interesting none the less.
Watch with a very open mind.
joshschindler-7340325 October 2021
There is 0 plot here, so go on ahead an just pay attention to the animation and the quick fire adult jokes. Once you realize this movie is strictly about escaping out the window of reality, you can thoroughly enjoy this film.
If you think there's some kinda synopsis for this movie or some hidden "under-theme", you're way off. The only point being made by Hiroyuki Imaishi was that, sometimes life is pointless, and we all need something to help us escape such as drugs, animation, or simply both!!
If you think there's some kinda synopsis for this movie or some hidden "under-theme", you're way off. The only point being made by Hiroyuki Imaishi was that, sometimes life is pointless, and we all need something to help us escape such as drugs, animation, or simply both!!
Film that wastes your life, ruins your appetite and endangers your personal hygiene
imdb-ary2 November 2011
I really don't understand how anyone can like this movie. I thought it was absolutely disgusting.
This animation is just so sick and wrong on so many levels. There's practically no story or character building behind any of its characters, all the characters look like freaky mutant versions of Sponge Bob characters. There's even a penis character that squirts liquids (don't ask). There's excessive use of violence and torture that seemed to be used for cheap shock value. Or perhaps violence for violence's sake is what they had in mind?
The protagonists are unlikable as they come, as the story begins with them killing innocent people on the street to stealing their stuff. No other motivations beyond that other than imply its "fun".
The music consists of repetitive techno beats and that's it.
The animation looks like its drawn by angry 3rd graders or mental patients. There's massive frame skips that make it jerk around worst than the later Evangelion episodes.
In my mind watching this film is like the anime version of been raped, mentally raped. Been so violated that it makes you sick. And the people who liked this film are like the weird people in prison who gets raped then turns around and says they enjoyed the experience.
I just don't get it.
This animation is just so sick and wrong on so many levels. There's practically no story or character building behind any of its characters, all the characters look like freaky mutant versions of Sponge Bob characters. There's even a penis character that squirts liquids (don't ask). There's excessive use of violence and torture that seemed to be used for cheap shock value. Or perhaps violence for violence's sake is what they had in mind?
The protagonists are unlikable as they come, as the story begins with them killing innocent people on the street to stealing their stuff. No other motivations beyond that other than imply its "fun".
The music consists of repetitive techno beats and that's it.
The animation looks like its drawn by angry 3rd graders or mental patients. There's massive frame skips that make it jerk around worst than the later Evangelion episodes.
In my mind watching this film is like the anime version of been raped, mentally raped. Been so violated that it makes you sick. And the people who liked this film are like the weird people in prison who gets raped then turns around and says they enjoyed the experience.
I just don't get it.
Peak Fiction
colekido28 July 2021
At long last, something that comes close to FLCL
Nan00k18 September 2009
I'm not an anime fan. I started to go in to why, but deleted it and decided to write about why I like Dead Leaves. How I am going to do that is by saying that even though I am not a fan of the genre, FLCL is one of my all time favorite viewing experiences. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it, and have owned various DVD releases of it and watched them many times, each viewing finding something new. Until tonight, I was disconsolate that no other anime would ever make me sit up and take notice.
Now, Dead Leaves is not quite to FLCL's level, IMO; however, they are kindred spirits. First of all, it's a short, just over 3/4 of an hour, so it didn't have the time to develop its characters or plot as well, neither does it have the bittersweet, weird love story of FLCL, nor the coming of age subtext rife with adolescent realizations that makes FLCL so special, but then again, it doesn't want or need any of these. What it does have are tons of LOL, WTF and "AWESOME!" moments, packed in so tightly, this is something that will need to be watched again and again. It also shares FLCL's humor, twisted sensibility and style.
Another comment indicates that the director of Dead Leaves also worked on FLCL, but I can't find confirmation of that here on IMDb; however, I would not be surprised in the slightest that that was the case.
This short has given me hope that Japan hasn't only made one anime that I can appreciate. It is confirmed that it has now made at least two.
Now, Dead Leaves is not quite to FLCL's level, IMO; however, they are kindred spirits. First of all, it's a short, just over 3/4 of an hour, so it didn't have the time to develop its characters or plot as well, neither does it have the bittersweet, weird love story of FLCL, nor the coming of age subtext rife with adolescent realizations that makes FLCL so special, but then again, it doesn't want or need any of these. What it does have are tons of LOL, WTF and "AWESOME!" moments, packed in so tightly, this is something that will need to be watched again and again. It also shares FLCL's humor, twisted sensibility and style.
Another comment indicates that the director of Dead Leaves also worked on FLCL, but I can't find confirmation of that here on IMDb; however, I would not be surprised in the slightest that that was the case.
This short has given me hope that Japan hasn't only made one anime that I can appreciate. It is confirmed that it has now made at least two.
1000mph Thrill Ride
rexatron300024 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Dead Leaves Review
Let's get this straight before I dive into the review. If you dislike animated movies, subtitles, violence or low brow humour, this is not going to be your cup of tea at all and I would recommend you go find something else more suited to your faint hearted sensibilities. I would, however, recommend this to any viewers into animated flicks who are looking for something fast paced, quirky and easy to follow; this movie is a 1000mph thrill ride from start to finish and it never lets up for a second - it's crazy, it's whacky, it's super funny and I've never seen anything quite like it.
So, to explain the basis of the plot in simple terms, there are two main protagonists, Retro and Pandy, who we find naked and without any memories, but with a notable penchant for violence, an unnatural taste and talent for murdering just about anyone in the vicinity and the ability to battle toe to toe with huge robotic killing machines who seem to be programmed only to seek and destroy. The first 5 minutes or so is an absolutely berserk rampage through a futuristic city on Earth which winds up with the two being caught and quickly rocketed to a padded cell in a desolate prison complex on the moon, or should I say whatever is left of the moon, as an apparent explosion has seemingly disintegrated about two thirds of it.
In said prison the inmates are each tightly wrapped in a sort of strait jacket cocoon with a hole only for their face and their back, the latter so you can have the s**t sucked out of you on a daily basis, which clearly doesn't seem too pleasant, not to mention the numerous and heavily, heavily armed guards who are likely to violently massacre inmates at the drop of a hat. As you can imagine this is not a place that Retro and Pandy are happy to call home, but luckily, due to their "talents", of which they helpfully continue to discover along the way, they manage to escape their bindings, open their cell door and release the rest of the prisoners, all of whom (including our two protagonists) are extremely bizarre experimental clones. One of the inmates is very...er, phallic looking, another is curiously and quite dangerously endowed and I think I forgot to mention that Retro has a TV for a head, but fortunately all are bent on the same mission of revenge, escape and destruction.
So Retro and Pandy lead the rag tag band of inmates in extra violent, action packed, and all the while amusing rebellion to escape their captors and discover the way out of the prison, as Pandy slowly begins to remember why they command the abilities they do and who's really running things behind the scenes, while along the way it just so happens that an unexpected and inexplicable path to victory presents itself.
The movie is short at just under an hour, and it is well worth your time, it's extremely unique, with the eccentric comic book style animation and bats**t crazy characters, plus there's never a boring moment as somehow it manages to ramp up the insanity level all the way to the end. The closest thing I can compare it to is Superjail, and I would say if you love that then you'll most likely love this too. It's a feast for the senses, great visuals, an insanely fast paced narrative and non stop jokes throughout - potty humour, sexual humour and a lot of visual humour to boot, it may be crude for some but it's very much the kind of humour you want from an easy watch like this and it absolutely matches the tone.
If you want something short and sweet that will keep you on the edge of your seat for an hour without having to use any brain power at all then this is absolutely the perfect selection for you, and I would certainly watch it again. 9/10.
Let's get this straight before I dive into the review. If you dislike animated movies, subtitles, violence or low brow humour, this is not going to be your cup of tea at all and I would recommend you go find something else more suited to your faint hearted sensibilities. I would, however, recommend this to any viewers into animated flicks who are looking for something fast paced, quirky and easy to follow; this movie is a 1000mph thrill ride from start to finish and it never lets up for a second - it's crazy, it's whacky, it's super funny and I've never seen anything quite like it.
So, to explain the basis of the plot in simple terms, there are two main protagonists, Retro and Pandy, who we find naked and without any memories, but with a notable penchant for violence, an unnatural taste and talent for murdering just about anyone in the vicinity and the ability to battle toe to toe with huge robotic killing machines who seem to be programmed only to seek and destroy. The first 5 minutes or so is an absolutely berserk rampage through a futuristic city on Earth which winds up with the two being caught and quickly rocketed to a padded cell in a desolate prison complex on the moon, or should I say whatever is left of the moon, as an apparent explosion has seemingly disintegrated about two thirds of it.
In said prison the inmates are each tightly wrapped in a sort of strait jacket cocoon with a hole only for their face and their back, the latter so you can have the s**t sucked out of you on a daily basis, which clearly doesn't seem too pleasant, not to mention the numerous and heavily, heavily armed guards who are likely to violently massacre inmates at the drop of a hat. As you can imagine this is not a place that Retro and Pandy are happy to call home, but luckily, due to their "talents", of which they helpfully continue to discover along the way, they manage to escape their bindings, open their cell door and release the rest of the prisoners, all of whom (including our two protagonists) are extremely bizarre experimental clones. One of the inmates is very...er, phallic looking, another is curiously and quite dangerously endowed and I think I forgot to mention that Retro has a TV for a head, but fortunately all are bent on the same mission of revenge, escape and destruction.
So Retro and Pandy lead the rag tag band of inmates in extra violent, action packed, and all the while amusing rebellion to escape their captors and discover the way out of the prison, as Pandy slowly begins to remember why they command the abilities they do and who's really running things behind the scenes, while along the way it just so happens that an unexpected and inexplicable path to victory presents itself.
The movie is short at just under an hour, and it is well worth your time, it's extremely unique, with the eccentric comic book style animation and bats**t crazy characters, plus there's never a boring moment as somehow it manages to ramp up the insanity level all the way to the end. The closest thing I can compare it to is Superjail, and I would say if you love that then you'll most likely love this too. It's a feast for the senses, great visuals, an insanely fast paced narrative and non stop jokes throughout - potty humour, sexual humour and a lot of visual humour to boot, it may be crude for some but it's very much the kind of humour you want from an easy watch like this and it absolutely matches the tone.
If you want something short and sweet that will keep you on the edge of your seat for an hour without having to use any brain power at all then this is absolutely the perfect selection for you, and I would certainly watch it again. 9/10.
A very good bizarre movie!
Irishchatter11 August 2019
Like honestly this movie was surprisingly well done because of its colourful bizarre scenes. Definitely Takako Honda and Kappei Yamaguchi did such a great teamup on voicing the main characters. I really enjoyed watching Retro and Pansy kicking the enemies ass like it was so well done.
To add, there are a lot of flashing scenes in the anime so people with severe photo sensitivity should be made aware of this before thinking about watching it. Don't worry if you can't because there's literally tons of anime out there with less flashing stuff.
Overall this anime has pretty likeable main characters, good humour, pretty colourful and entertaining 8/10
To add, there are a lot of flashing scenes in the anime so people with severe photo sensitivity should be made aware of this before thinking about watching it. Don't worry if you can't because there's literally tons of anime out there with less flashing stuff.
Overall this anime has pretty likeable main characters, good humour, pretty colourful and entertaining 8/10
A fun addition to the anime genre. I'd watch a sequel
kevin_robbins30 July 2023
Dead Leaves (2004) is an underrated anime gem that I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline follows two criminals whose minds are whipped clean and they're sent to an Earth prison called Dead Leaves. They work with the inmates to find a way out of prison which may jog their memory along the way.
This is directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi (Cyberpunk: Edgerushers) and contains the voices of Kappei Yamaguchi (Death Note), Mitsuo Iwata (Paprika), Nobuo Tobita (Hellsing) and Wataru Takagi (Pokémon).
The animation for this picture is unique and perfect for a fast pace science fiction storyline. The action scenes are intense, gory and entertaining. There wasn't a shootout that I didn't love. The dialogue is very good with some hilarious one-liners and the soundtrack is fantastic too. The 55-minutes sprints by before you know it.
Overall, this is a fun addition to the anime genre. I'd watch a sequel. I would score this a 7.5/10 and strongly recommend it.
This is directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi (Cyberpunk: Edgerushers) and contains the voices of Kappei Yamaguchi (Death Note), Mitsuo Iwata (Paprika), Nobuo Tobita (Hellsing) and Wataru Takagi (Pokémon).
The animation for this picture is unique and perfect for a fast pace science fiction storyline. The action scenes are intense, gory and entertaining. There wasn't a shootout that I didn't love. The dialogue is very good with some hilarious one-liners and the soundtrack is fantastic too. The 55-minutes sprints by before you know it.
Overall, this is a fun addition to the anime genre. I'd watch a sequel. I would score this a 7.5/10 and strongly recommend it.
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